2. STORM FREAKING LARGE KICKED ASS AT CARNEGIE HALL & EVEN GOT HER ENORMOUS BACK TATTOO MENTIONED IN THE NY TIMES.

Portland, people. PORTLAND.

(I can only hope she did the fist-pumping to the orchestra after it was over, like she did in Detroit before walking offstage.)

The orchestra shone throughout, but with “The Seven Deadly Sins,” Detroit inherited that show stealer Ms. Large, who is best known for her popsier work with Pink Martini and other bands. She was sensational in a Brecht-Weill experiment of dipping country innocence serially into urban decadence and seeing what comes out. What came out here was personality plus (the tattoo across Ms. Large’s back, for those who couldn’t make it out, read, “Lover”), and her voice came through the subtle miking fetchingly.

The Disapproval MatrixI love so many things about this chart, but perhaps my favorite bit is that "yourself" falls under the "Frenemies” quadrant – a critic that knows you, yes, but is also highly irrational.

Written by Jessica

I'm a freelance travel writer, social media consultant, and gelato enthusiast living in the fabulous Portland, Oregon. Talk to me about Italian football, Sazeracs, and cities with bad reputations.
View all posts by Jessica